This WordPress.com site is about our life and experiences after retiring in San Clemente Ecuador

The Ever-Intriguing Sunflower and other Flower Macros

Last Wednesday we went to a large nursery (vivero) in Portoviejo to get some more flowers for our new flower beds. We spotted two two-foot tall sunflower plants that had buds almost ready to open and asked how much they cost. At $3.00 each or two for $5.00 we could not resist getting them both. Two of the largest buds opened up this week.

This afternoon I went out to get some close-up pictures of one of the most amazing and intriguing flowers I have ever seen.

The sunflower plant produces several flowers, but each flower is actually a spirally mass of hundreds of flowers or florets. This was the first bud to open and you can see scores of brown and yellow pollen laden flowers opening up from the outside rows inward.

This next bud opened up a day or two later than the first and only has one or two rows of inner florets opened.

Because of its dark background it is easier to see the interconnecting spirals (known as the Fibonacci sequence for you mathematician types) radiating out from the center.

This younger bud will likely blossom within the next week.

More are coming!

The bright colors and abundant pollen calls out to numerous pollinators who work diligently gleaning nectar and redistributing pollen to this and other flowers.

You can see the pollen laden legs on the small bee in the next picture.

Whoops! Not a pollinator!

While we were at the vivero we got into a buying frenzy and bought a few small $1.00 plants the names of which we did not know. But for one dollar!

We got what turned out to be a beautiful red carnation flower.

Likewise we got a couple of small $1.00 ground cover type flowering plants for the wall-mounted bamboo planter near our front door.

Mary used to have some of these plants, called Portulacas, at her home in the United States. Their petite blooms are only about one inch in diameter, but add a splash of color to our entry area.

We got two larger gardenia plants which we planted right in front of our front porch so that we could enjoy the beautiful aroma of gardenia flowers in the mornings.

They complement the unusual bloom of the shrimp plants in the same planter.

Mary worked to re-pot several small cacti and succulent plants that we discovered around the yard. These are growing in a pot on our front door step until we can decide on another location.

We also purchased a number of different herb plants which we read were good to position around chicken coops. For now they are taking root in pots near our bedroom window.

We have hanging baskets around our porch and they are really starting to bloom.

Last but not least, the small limon trees in the yard are starting to bloom their small, but aromatic pin-wheel flowers in preparation for the rainy season which begins in January.

Every now and again someone still asks us why we moved all the way down to Ecuador. We always answer that it was the friendly loving people that attracted us first to move and then convinced us to stay here.

But, being surrounded year round by so much of God’s finest craftsmanship and beauty also helps make this a place where we can say…

Good stuff, John in Ecuador ! I really do enjoy seeing the little stuff you put in your blogs. Thanks for noticing all these things and further more , taking the time to do up a little post in kind. The little things like this are kind of like the seasonings on the pork roast of life! And you always relay them well! And more better yet, you notice them and enjoy them, when sadly so many a harried soul only uses these subtle beauties for traction , as they race from one thing to another. Anyways, I appreciate what you do here. Big and small.

Heaven knows that we spent many years racing here and there and, sadly, missing out on so much of the beauty that our Creator displays every day. Probably the best thing about being retired and having the perspective of age is that we now have the time and take the time to appreciate the small things that surround us.

One of these days I plan to steal that line, “seasoning on the pork roast of life.” Paints a pretty mental picture, my friend. Cheers to you and yours. JandM

We really tried to get flowers that looked nice, but moreover smelled good. So far the gardenias are taking well. Last week we went again and got nightshade trees and lavender plants to add to the aromatic atmosphere here. We are very excited to watch them all grow!